One of my favorite memories is of a client who told me, “You’ve got the heart of a saint, and the guts of a superhero.” Life as an attorney is rarely glamourous, and life as a family law attorney places you in the trenches side-by-side with your client – a client who is often facing a major life change such as divorce. Needless to say, some days you feel like less than a superhero. But then I remember that to my clients, that is exactly what I am, and that is what motivates me to give my best to every person I encounter. My clients know that regardless of the issue we are facing, we will fearlessly face it together.
During my tenure as a family law attorney I have tried a myriad of cases including complex child custody, alimony, and high-wealth equitable distribution. I have worked with forensic experts on valuations, including expert valuations of both majority and minority ownership interests in closely held corporations with millions of dollars in revenue. I have also had the opportunity to handle appeals in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and argued in front of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
I know that my job extends beyond the courtroom, and as a lifelong learner it is important to me to educate myself and my community about the laws and changing landscape of divorce, child custody, and family law in North Carolina. I am regularly invited to speak on various topics in the area of family law as part of continuing legal education seminars and other family law focused conferences.
Education
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; School of Law, JD, cum laude, 1996
- University of North Carolina, Kenan Flagler School of Business, MBA, 1996
- Duke University, BA (English), cum laude, 1992, Certificate of Markets and Management.
Bar Admissions
- North Carolina
Areas of Practice
- Guardian ad Litem
- Family Law
- Premarital Agreements
- Post-nuptial Agreements
- Separation Agreements
- Divorce
- Equitable Distribution
- Alimony
- Child Support
- Child Custody
- Termination of Parental Rights
- DSS Child Abuse and Neglect
Honors & Associations
- Member, North Carolina Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Member, Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Former Chair of the Pro Bono and/or Public Service Committees of the Family Law Council, the governing body of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association
- One of the founding members of the Charlotte Women’s Bar, a division of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.
- Charlotte Women’s Bar: Former President, Past-President Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Chair of the Fundraising Committee, and Co-Chair of the Nominating Committee
- Speaker regarding the practice of law at area elementary schools.
- Judge for Regional Trial Advocacy Competitions.
- Judge for student trial practice competitions the Charlotte School of Law.
- Selected as “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina in 2020 and 2021.
- Selected as “Super Lawyer” by North Carolina SuperLawyer’s Magazine in 2020 and 2021.